Kaylen May Gerkey

INTERNATIONAL: Musharraf Steps Down as Army Chief (From MSNBC)
Summary – Today General Musharraf, chief of Pakistan, stepped down today after the ousted Prime Minister Sharif registered to run in the January elections. Apparently Musharraf was feeling too much pressure form the media and tried to deal with the return of the former Primes Minister that he decided to step down, sources say. Even before the return of Sharif and his step down from power Musharraf was feeling pressure from opposition and the US to end the emergency rule he imposed three weeks ago.

Opinion – Yay! I guess that’s all I can say. I did not think this day would come for a while but here it is. I think its good for Pakistan and the people over their. I hope Sharif can do a good job and protect his people. I hope he makes a good impact and the people do not want to overthrow him or get rid of him.

INTERNATIONAL: Teacher Guilty in 'Muhammad' Teddy Bear Case(From MSNBC)
Summary – A British teacher in Sudan let her students name their class teddy bear. The class named the teddy “Muhammad” and now the teacher is being detained for 15 days then sent back to Britain for insulting Islam. The teacher could have easily received 40 lashes for her stunt but London’s foreign office said that they were “extremely disappointed with the sentence” while Washington said they were “outraged… this is outrageous.”

Opinion – I agree with Washington that it’s outrageous. It’s just a name. The children picked it. How is that insulting Islam? I just do not understand why she got jailed or whatever, I understand all countries have different philosophies and ideas and beliefs but the children just named a teddy bear. The teddy bear ain’t gonna go kill anybody. I just find it ridiculous to get all worked up over the name of a teddy bear, that’s all.

NATIONAL: Writers Strike Could Pull Plug on TV Favorites (From MSNBC)
Summary – “The Writers Guild was currently in sharply divided contract talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television producers over residual payments that TV and film writers receive. Their contract expired on November 31.” Now it is more than possible in early 2008 that all Americans can be losing some of their favorite shows. So pretty much the writers of the WGA got cut out of all the DVD and iTunes money and they are not happy. They have stopped writing and are on strike. We won’t likely see the effects till the end of January but come February expect a lot of reality shows because they are the only ones, for the most part, not under the WGA.


Opinion – I guess this is why I despise actors or celebrities of this sort. All they care about is the money. I understand in some ways they got cheated out of their profits, but they are making us the consumers who give them their money in the first place suffer. If we do not watch their shows how will they ever get any money at all? I just wish they would grow up and stop complaining and get back to work. You can not get money if you do not work. Plus the WGA needs to give them at least a little portion of the sale proceeds. Just compromise a little and get this show back on the road.

NATIONAL: Boy Dies after Refusing Transfusion over Religion (From MSNBC)
Summary – The 14 year old Jehovah’s Witness, Dennis Lindberg, refused a blood transfusion after being diagnosed with Leukemia in early November. The doctors gave him a 70 percent chance of living for the next five years with a transfusion and further treatment. The judge ruled that the 8th grader knew what he was doing when he refused treatment and said that he was not trying to commit suicide. The boy did not want the transfusion because he said that it made him unclean. In actuality it killed him.

Opinion – I would have to almost agree with the judge. The boy is old enough to know right from wrong and good from evil. I find it sad that he chose this road, but it was his choice. I think he was wrong in choosing it and I wish his parents would have stopped him, but they did not. God created doctors to help us and when he provides a way out you take it. You cannot always expect some miraculous thing to save you. God provides human solutions for human people. I feel sorry for the family but then I don’t. They have authority over their son and they should have made him take that transfusion to live. He still had his whole life ahead of him.